The present invention relates to adhesive-backed flooring panels, a flooring system including flooring panels, a method of installing flooring panels, a method of manufacturing flooring panels, and a packaged flooring system.
The use of adhesives in flooring products and for flooring installations offers many advantages including the avoidance of more cumbersome or costly fastening hardware and features such as nails, screws, and tongue-and-groove systems. The installation process of using full-spread adhesive, however, is very time consuming, costly, and messy, as well as cumbersome. For instance, an installer has to first remove all oil, dirt, grease, wax, sealers, paint, adhesives, and other substances that would hinder installation. In addition, the subfloor must be level without major pot holes or cracks; the conditions of the subfloor such as moisture content, structure soundness, and the like, also have to be taken care of before the adhesive is applied. On the adhesive part, the proper tools such as trowel type and its size are influential for achieving the best economics and performance. After the adhesive is applied, a proper setting time is required for the adhesive to develop its tackiness before the floor is put down. Any residuals of adhesive oozing up to the surface of the flooring must be quickly removed before they set and adhere to the flooring surface. Furthermore, the cost of the adhesive can be quite expensive. Workers are also expected to have specialized knowledge of adhesive application.
Accordingly, there exists a need for better flooring products, systems, and methods that utilize the advantages of adhesives while avoiding or minimizing their disadvantages.